CALL FOR EXTERNAL QUALITY EVALUTOR!

Application deadline: 12.04.2026

         Applications should be sent by email to:

         [email protected] and [email protected]

        The subject of the email should be:” Tech2Link: External Evaluator”

  The application must include the following documents:

• Curriculum Vitae of the applicant
• Relevant documents/proofs/references supporting the application

The successful applicant will be notified of the selection results within 30 days after the application deadline.

Applications received after application deadlines will not be considered.

Terms of References

1. Introduction

The consortium of the Erasmus+ project “Bridging the Gap: Technology Transfer Hubs Connecting Western Balkans Universities, Business and Society “- Project number: 101179816-ERASMUS-EDU-2025-CBHE-STRAND-1, hereinafter referred to as “Tech2Link”, in line with the project Quality Plan, has decided to subcontract External Quality Evaluator to provide an independent review, including recommendations, on the achievements of the project implementation and the overall performance against plans and objectives.

The consortium will consider applications and proposals of individual experts or organizations specialized in monitoring and evaluating educational projects at the European level. The fee mentioned in this Terms of Reference is intended as the maximum contract value for the engagement as External Quality Evaluator, regardless of whether the contract is assigned to an individual expert or an organization.

The External Quality Evaluator will be contracted in the second year of project implementation and shall not have a concurrent working contract with the consortium members.

2. Tech2Link project description

The Tech2Link project falls into the category of Erasmus + Capacity building projects which typically focus on strengthening relations between higher education and the wider economic and social environment. In this project, the main focus is to reduce the internationalization gap of HEIs from the WB region with the European HEIs and Ensure high quality and relevant education. The technology transfer hubs will be focused mainly on the green technologies that will support environmental challenges.

The general objective of Tech2Link project is to create a dynamic and sustainable ecosystem that facilitates the transfer of technology, knowledge and innovation between academia and industry, thus driving the economic development by leveraging the intellectual property and research capabilities of higher education institutions in WBs region.

The specific objectives of Tech2Link project are as follows:

• Establishment of dedicated Technology Transfer HUBs as supporting structures, responsible for managing intellectual property, facilitating technology transfer activities, and supporting the commercialization of research outcomes, within higher education institutions (HEIs). Few of topics to be addressed by the HUBs are green and digital transformation, artificial intelligence in the processes etc.
• Development and implementation of the intellectual property regulation and procedures within HEIs which will address issues such as ownership, protection, licensing, and commercialization of intellectual property generated by faculty, researchers, and students.
• Enhance of the entrepreneurship support at universities by providing resources, mentorship, and training programs to aspiring entrepreneurs. The technology transfer hubs will offer incubation and acceleration programs, access to funding opportunities, and networking events to support the growth of start-ups.
• Facilitate collaboration between HEIs and industry partners. TTHubs will actively seek partnerships with industry stakeholders, enabling joint research projects, technology licensing agreements, and knowledge transfer initiatives.
• Promote technology awareness and transfer within HEIs. The TTHubs will organize workshops, seminars, and training programs to educate faculty, researchers, students and alumni on the commercialization process, intellectual property management, and entrepreneurship.
• Monitor and evaluate the impact of the TTHubs on innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development. The project will develop performance indicators and evaluation frameworks to assess the effectiveness and outcomes of the technology transfer activities.

The project is structured into six work packages: Project Management (WP1), Needs Assessment and Stakeholder Engagement (WP2), Design and Development of Technology Transfer Hub (WP3), Capacity Building and knowledge transfer (WP4), Quality Monitoring and Evaluation (WP5) and Dissemination and Sustainability (WP6).

3. The role and tasks of the External Quality Evaluator

The role of External Quality Evaluation is to supervise the implementation of project activities and to provide the assessment of various project aspects such as relevance (is the project still relevant in terms of its goals and achievements); efficiency (are the activities within the work packages done on time and within planned budget); effectiveness (how well are the project specific objectives met) and impact (at the different levels) and sustainability (what would stay after the project is finished).

The external evaluator’s role is to assess the project in its progress towards its objectives and indicators and to contribute in its different stages.  It is expected that the external evaluator will be in regular contact with the coordinator, Project Management Board, and Project Quality Board, via electronic means (i.e. email, teleconference, etc.) and can be invited to participate in the project meetings.

General responsibilities of an external evaluator:

− Evaluate the quality of project activities and outputs

− Evaluate dissemination activities as well as the sustainability and exploitation of the project outputs

− Present preliminary conclusions based on independent research

− Write an independent monitoring report based on the evaluation

− Assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the budget spending

− Evaluate the project as a whole and prepare the final quality audit report

Monitoring reports should reflect on the relevance, impact, dissemination, efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of the project outputs and provide recommendations for all project partners. To achieve the envisaged outputs an external evaluator can schedule independent monitoring visits, and online meetings and it is highly suggested to attend at least one project management meeting.

The consortium is responsible for providing all project documents and deliverables to the external evaluator(s) on request.

The subcontracted External Quality Evaluator will deliver 2 reports:

1. Intermediate quality report: This is expected to be an evaluation report of the first half of the project implementation, based on a review of existing documents and deliverables. This report can include recommendations to be implemented by the project partners. The report should be delivered in 45 days after project month 12.
2. Final quality report: This report will evaluate the second half of the project implementation, based on a review of existing documents and deliverables. Also, an evaluation of the implementation of the recommendations provided in the previous report will be included. It is expected that the final report will be completed by the end of the project.

The report template will be drawn up in consultation with the project consortium but is likely to include a specific section for each work package and an overall report on project quality and impact determined by both project output material and qualitative and quantitative data from all stakeholders.

The External Quality Evaluator is provided full access to all project documentation to empower her/him to carry out a thorough assessment of the project. The external expert undertakes to carry out the required service within the specified timeframe and agrees to maintain the confidentiality of data generated or disclosed during the provision of the needed service.

4. The requirements for the Evaluator and selection criteria

The external evaluator should have:

• D. degree, preferably in technical fields;
• Experience in managing and/or implementing Erasmus+ capacity-building projects;
• Proven professional experience in the evaluation process and monitoring process of international collaborative projects;
• Understanding of quality processes, expected activities, outputs, and quality review processes;
• Ability to effectively communicate evaluation results and to provide a professional and independent review;
• Excellent knowledge of English (written and spoken)

The selection criteria will be based on relevant working experience and qualifications. Women candidates are encouraged to apply.

The potential candidates might be invited to an online interview. The selection of candidates will be done by the Project Quality Board, which will compile an evaluation report and recommend to the project coordinator which candidate to hire as an External Quality Evaluator.

5. Price for services

The total price of this service is limited to 5000€.

The compensation includes:

• Professional fees with all taxes included where applicable
• Travel, accommodation, and subsistence

This amount will be paid in two installments. The first installment (2000 Euro) will be paid after delivering the 1st report and the second installment (3000 Euro) will be paid after delivering the 2nd report and before the last day of the project. Payments will be made following the prior signature of a contract for services with the project coordinator (Western Balkans University).

The contract will be with starting day: From the day of the signature of the contract by both parties and

End date: last day of the project. This date can vary depending if an extension of the project is required.